dings

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitiveinformal

   Makes a small dent or scratch on a hard surface, especially a car or a hard object.

   Grammar: Takes an object: something dings the door. The base form is ding; dings is the third-person singular present.

   Patterns

   • ding something
   • ding something with something

   She dings the car door every time she parks in that narrow garage.

   A stray shopping cart dings the side of his truck almost every week.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   Small dents or scratches on a hard surface, such as a car body or a piece of furniture.

   Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is ding, and dings is the plural. Often used in the plural for several marks.

   Patterns

   • a ding in something
   • dings on something

   There are a few dings on the passenger door from parking lots.

   He bought the used car cheap because of the dings and scratches.

3. 3verbintransitive

   Makes a short ringing sound, like a bell or a notification tone.

   Grammar: No object; the thing that rings is the subject: The bell dings.

   Patterns

   • something dings

   The elevator dings when it reaches each floor.

   Her phone dings every few minutes with new messages.

4. 4nouncountable

   A short ringing sound, such as a bell or an electronic notification tone.

   Grammar: Countable noun; usually a single short sound, plural dings.

   Patterns

   • a ding
   • the ding of something

   I heard the ding of the microwave from the kitchen.

   A soft ding told us the train doors were closing.

Word forms

Common combinations

dings and scratches

The salesman pointed out the dings and scratches on the used truck.

a ding in the door

There is a ding in the door from a runaway bicycle.

the phone dings

My phone dings all night, so I turn it off.

the bell dings

The bell dings twice at the start of class.

ding someone's car

Someone dinged my car in the parking lot again.

Synonyms and how they differ

dent

Dent is the more standard word for a pushed-in mark on metal; ding is more informal and often suggests a smaller mark.

scratch

A scratch is a thin cut or line on a surface, while a ding is usually a small dent or knock.

chime

Chime is a more formal word for a pleasant ringing sound; ding is short and often electronic.

Word family

ding verb

The base form meaning to dent or to ring.

dinged adjective

Describing something that has small dents or marks.

dinging noun

The act or sound of ringing repeatedly.

Commonly confused: dings or din? dings or dengue?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “dings”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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